By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our
Cookie Policy unless you have disabled them. You can change your Cookie Settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them.

In a statement issued today, Athawale appealed to the people to maintain peace, harmony and brotherhood in the country.

His appeal comes a day after the Lok Sabha passed The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018 to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the law.

Yesterday, The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017, which grants constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes(NCBC), was also passed by the Parliament.

Athawale said the passage of the two bills was a revolutionary step and alleged that the opposition is defaming the government wrongly over this.

Dalit groups under the banner of the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM) have given a call for 'Bharat Bandh' on Thursday to demand restoration of the provisions of the SC/ST Act which, the Dalit groups allege, were diluted by a Supreme Court ruling of March 20.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)